North Shore Rescue: 'It is not summer on the mountains'

North Shore Rescue volunteers had to help a hiker off Dog Mountain on Saturday who they say was woefully underprepared for the conditions. Many trails are still covered in snow but people are setting out to hike them in nothing but running shoes and light workout clothes. [PNG Merlin Archive]North Shore Rescue / PNG

North Shore Rescue is putting out a reminder to hikers looking to get up into the mountains in the coming days and weeks that while the weather has been fabulous down near our homes and businesses, conditions at higher altitudes are still difficult.

Many trails are still snow-covered and hiking them in running shoes and light workout clothes is a very poor, very risky idea.

That means, more than ever, that adventure seekers must remember that the first thing you do when setting out on a hike is to make sure you’re fully prepared for the conditions. Think of hitting the trails in the summertime is like skiing in the winter; you can’t do it without planning ahead.

“It would not be an understatement to say that pool of potential search and rescue customers was expansive,” NSR’s Curtis Jones writes on the service’s website of what he saw recently in the Mount Seymour parking lot.

A view looking north from Black Mountain in West Vancouver on June 2.James McLean /
PNG

Further, there’s what he calls “the social media effect.” He pointed to a post on Instagram from May 19 by popular Vancouver website The Daily Hive, seeking to encourage people to get out and adventure. (A number of Instagram commenters made the same observation on the post, that it’s an inaccurate depiction of what conditions look like on the North Shore at the moment.)

An admirable sentiment, but the photo in question, apparently taken late last summer, puts forth a dangerous proposition, that the scene up in the mountains is ready for people looking for an easy jaunt.

Such a suggestion couldn’t be further from the truth, he says.

The photo is of St. Mark’s Summit, a popular vantage point of Howe Sound that’s accessed by a trail from the Cypress Mountain parking lot. The photo shows sunny, dry conditions.

“This ‘Social Media Effect’ has very real-world consequences in that it normalizes heading into the mountains like it is a simple trip to the local gym.”

Saturday night, NSR volunteers made a rescue that illustrates this worry, he said. On Dog Mountain, a hiker who was wearing only running shoes and light workout clothes had been left behind by her hiking group and had lost the trail due to heavy snow.

She was “unprepared, dehydrated and exhausted.”

She was lucky, though: when she decided it was time to call for help, her phone was in an area with cell phone service. That’s often not the case on the North Shore mountains, as trails lead north, away from urban areas where phone towers focus their signals.

North Shore Rescue volunteers had to help a hiker off Dog Mountain on Saturday who they say was woefully underprepared for the conditions.North Shore Rescue /
PNG

When NSR volunteers reached her, she was so exhausted that she had to be carried out.

“This is not to single out a single rescue subject for ridicule but to highlight a teachable moment which is exemplified by these circumstances,” he comments. “Preparation is important, and this particular subject is one of a great majority of mountain users who head out unprepared every day.”

Further, because of the warm temperatures causing rapid snow melt, there are places where the snow is undercut and could give way, revealing dangerous crevices below.

On Black Mountain in West Vancouver, hiker James McLean said he spotted many spots where he was worried more inexperience hikers might run into trouble. He also saw other hikers who could have easily found themselves in trouble.

A view of snow-covered Cabin Lake on Black Mountain in West Vancouver on June 2, 2018. [PNG Merlin Archive]James McLean /
PNG

1. “Research the route and make a plan;” he suggests a number of websites that will help you determine what you should wear, what you should bring, and what conditions are like.

2. “Tell someone responsible where you are going;” it’s simple, since because your phone may not work out on the trail, someone should know where you were going and when you were expecting to return. If you run into a problem and are delayed, someone will know to raise the alarm and police and North Shore Rescue volunteers will be able to be respond if they need to start a search.

3. “Wear appropriate clothing and footwear;” this seems obvious, he admits, but too many people are spotted on trails in cotton tshirts and flip flops or regular street shoes that offer poor support. Hiking boots or trail runners are the right investment. Workout clothes are fine, but make sure to bring a warm layer, just in case you get stuck in the woods. It gets cold up there quick.

4. “Take the 10 Essentials;” these are things like sunscreen, a first aid kit, matches, a knife, some food and water, an emergency blanket or shelter, an extra layer of clothing, a whistle, a map and a flashlight.

5. “Travel in a group and stay together;” a hike alone may seem like a fine stress release but it carries great risks. There are stories every year of people who disappear on a hike and die because they couldn’t reach help. Hike as a group, with everyone moving at the same pace. It’s not a race, it’s an adventure to be shared.

6. “If you discover you aren’t prepared, there’s no shame in turning back early;” a reality of hiking in the mountains or the wild is that conditions can change quickly, even when you show up. Or you can discover that a trail was simply not as advertised. Slipping and sliding on a snowy trail in soaked running shoes isn’t brave, it’s dumb.

Know that being “tough” doesn’t always mean you’re being smart. No one will call you “stupid” for deciding to stop.

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